Justin Loves Food

Editor’s Note: Welcome my friend Mark Drapeau to Justin Loves Food.  He is a retired fruit fly brain surgeon currently hiding in sleepy Washington, DC. He spends his leisure time writing and eating. Here, he combines both skills.

I was recently turned on to Burgundy wine by a friend. It’s generally lighter than what I usually order, but it was wonderful at a meal in New York with a vegetarian pasta appetizer followed by a light scallops dish and bread pudding. So when I returned to Washington, I thought I’d try a couple more bottles at reasonable prices (these were both about 20 bones).

I had them with the new Papa Johns “Perfect Pan” pizza with six cheeses. Yup, pizza. Seriously, it’s okay to pair wine with things like pizza, hot dogs, and McDonald’s, just as it’s okay to pair a beer with a steak – you just have to do it right. Anyway, the first wine was a 2006 Jacqueson Rully Chaponnieres, and the second was a 2005 Martin Michel Chorey Le Beaune.

First, the Jacqueson Rully. This was a lovely, fruity wine that was light to the lips. It smelled light as well, and was somewhat like what I had expected from New York. It paired really well with the cheap pizza – just enough to break through the oil and fruity enough to overpower my senses briefly.  The Martin Michel, on the other hand, tasted nice but had a more earthy flavor. It was light like a Burgundy of course but was too deep for the pizza.

Burgundy can work with pizza. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the 2006 Jacqueson Rully Chaponnieres.

- Mark Drapeau